Process for the catalytic treatment of hydrocarbon oil



G. E GLOFF ET AL 1,705,180

PROCESS FOR THE CATALYTIC TREATMENT OF HYDROGARBON OIL March 12, 1929.

Gus is v Ja Original Filed May 10 1922 Patented Mar. 12, 1929;

UNITED. STATES.

PA NTQQFFICE. 1'

GUSTAV EGLOFF AND .mcoun o. MORRELL, oricnreneo, ILLINOIS,,ASSIGNORS r0UNIVERSAL OIL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION '01!9 SOUTH DAKOTA.

PROCESS FOR THE CATALYTIC TREATMENT OE HYDROCARBON OIL.

Applicationflled May 10, 1922, Serial No. 559,719. Renewed September 5,1928.

This invention relates to improvements in a process for treatinghydrocarborioils, and

refers more particularly to the conversion of hydrocarbon oils undersubstantial pressure in the presence of a catalytic agent.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide a process in which theoil is heated to a conversion temperature under substantial pressure,and is permitted to vaporize in the presence of a catalyst whereby anim-' proved quality distillate is obtained and a distillate containingless of unsaturate -hy drocarbons.

elevational view of the apparatus. Refer.- ring to the drawings, theheating tubes 1 are mounted in furnace 2 which is preferably heated bymeans of gas burner 3. The heat.- ing tubes are connected by means ofthetransfer line 4 controlled by the throttle valve 5 to a series ofsuperimposed vapor.

chambers 6, 7 and 8, the lower chamber is connected to the transfer lineby pipe 9 regu-' lated by valve 10, the intermediate chamber by thevalve 14. The chambers" are mounted in an insulated heating zone .15 towhich the heated stack gases from the furnace may be conveyed throughthe duct 16, or additional heat added by means of gas burner 17 mount- 7ed below the heating chamber. The stack 18 s'erves to carry off the.spent gases of-combustion. I A} Fach chamber is equipped with a vapordraw-off line 19 controlled by valves 20 which lead to a common pipe 21which hasconnection with the dephlegmator 22 through an.

intermediate connection 23 controlled by valve 24." The-dep'hlegmator isconnected to water condenser coil 25 mounted in the con-- draw-off valve32 )ressure au c 33 and a '1 b liquid level gauge 34. I

The reflux liquid condensed in the de- :phlegmator is returned throughthe line 35 regulated by valve 36. and may be either drawn oil throughtheline 37 in which is in- The single figure is a diagrammatic sideterposed the valve 38, or may befireturned' through the line 39 byproper manipulation of the valves 36, 38 and 44. Reflux oil andcatalytic material returned through the lines 35'and 39 may be chargedby the pump 41 back to the'heating tubesl The prolonga' tion 21* of thepipe 21 connected with the lines 19 serves asa draw-off pipe for anycondensed catalytic material which is separated out in these. lines.This liquid may be drawn off from the system through pipe 42 controlledby valve 43 orrecharged directly with the reflux condensate from thedephlegmator to the heating tubes by closing the valve 43 f and openingthe valve 44. i

In operation the oil to be treated is introducedfrom any convenientsource through "the line 45and is charged by means of the pump 46through the inlet line 47 to the heating tubes l'which preferablyconsist of a contlnuous coil mounted in the furnace. The oil in itstravel through the heating zone is raised to a cracking temperaturewhile a substantial pressure-of the generated vapors is maintainedduring treatment.

Thefoil while at conversion temperature aluminum turnings or any type ofdisintegrated aluminum in a relatively comminutcd state. Duringtreatment there is introduced through the transfer line and through thebody of the heated oil regulated quantities of passes through thetransfer line and may be hydrogen chloride or chlorine through the pipe48 controlled by the valve 49. This gaseous re-agent in combination withthe aluminum material in the vapor chambers produces a catalyticsubstance which promotes materiallythe conversion of the oil andthe'qu'ality of the distillate produced therefrom. The vapors evolved inthevap'orizing chambers 'pas's ofi through the draw-off lines 19 to thedephlegmator' through the connecting pipes 21- and and 23 where thevapors are subjected to a refluxing action, There is carried'with 1these evolved vapors portions of the catalyst separatedoutwith thereflux condensate in i 1 in a sublimed state, Some of the catalyst is Iofi from the'system through the pipe 42 as explained, or may be returnedand re-cycled with the reflux condensate to the heating zone forre-treatment' The still vaporize portion of the hydrocarbon vapors riseto the top of the dephlegmator and pass over to the Water condenser,thence to the receiver where they are collected as distillate. Anycatalytic substance which may remainwith the vapors is drawn off fromthe receiver after gravity separation. The catalytic treatment of theoil may take place under substantial pressure or under diflerentialpressures maintained in the respective zones by the valves interposedthere between. By the alternate use of the diflerent vaporizingchambers, one or more may be cut out for cleaning and recharging withthe aluminum turnings. In place of the hydrogen chloride, a mixture ofregulated quantities of hydrocarbon vapors and chlorine may beintroduced through line 48 and simultaneously passed through theseparate inletpipes 19 if all the chambers are employed. Thus the mostadvantageous conditions may be produced in the conversion in thevaporizing chambers by regulating the quantities of the diilerent gasesin- ]ecte I y In practice, mid-continent gas oil of from 30 to 32 Baumbeing treated to temperatures ranging from 700 to 900 F., and pressuresfrom 50 to 200 pounds have yielded 25 to 30% of high quality distillatewith relatively low percentage of unsaturate hydrocarbons,

the distillate ranging in gravity from 48 t0 52 B.

We claim as our invention:

1. A process for the conversion of hydrocarbon oil, consisting ininitially raising the oil to a cracking temperature, in injecting intothe oil, While at a cracking temperature,

regulated quantities of hydrogenchloride, in passing the cominingledheated oil and hydrogen chloride into an enlarged zone containing aquantity of disintegrated aluminum, in taking ofl vapors from saidenlarged zone for condensation and collection, and in maintaining asuperatmospheric vapor pressure on the oil undergoing conversion in theprocess 2. A continuous process for the conversion of hydrocarbon oil,consisting in raising the oil to a cracking temperature in a heatingzone, in introducing into the oil, While at a cracking temperature,regulated quantities of hydrogen chloride, in passing the heatedhydrocarbon oil and the contained hydrogen chloride into an enlargedvapor chamber, wherein a substantial quantity of disintegrated-aluminumis maintained, in taking oif vapors evolved from the oil from said vaporchamber, in subjecting such vapors to partial condensation, in returningthe condensate separated from the vapors to said heating zone forfurther treatment, in subjecting the vapors uncondensed by subjection tosaid partial condensation to final condensation, in

collecting the resulting distillate, and in.

maintaining a superatmospheric pressure on the oil undergoing conversionin the process.

GUSTAV EGLOFF. JACQUE C. MORRELL.

